This invention relates to fragrance samplers which are inserted in magazines or used in direct mailings.
Traditionally fragrance samplers were dry pre-scented blotter cards that had to be individually overwrapped to contain the fragrance for use in direct mail or magazine advertising. Beginning in the late 1970's, the micro-encapsulated Scentstrip® style magazine and direct mail insert was introduced. The Scentstrip insert is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,182 to Ross. This product was produced on wide web offset printing equipment and therefore offered significant cost efficiencies for mass marketing. However, this was still a dry sample since the water moisture in the deposited fragrance slurry would very quickly wick into the paper substrate and leave the product sample dry. In fact, the entire technology depended on this moisture wicking since the wet microcapsules would not bond to the paper and would not break upon opening of the sampler. The microcapsules only break and release the fragrance oil when they are dry and are bonded to the paper. The draw back with this product was that it did not replicate the actual wet perfume product very well. In order to sample the fragrances in its real life wet form, the moisture wicking of the wet fragrance slurry deposited in the wide web offset printing process needed to be prevented. This was most easily accomplished by using existing narrow web flexographic label printing technology to create a pressure sensitive product that incorporated a wet fragrance or cosmetic sample material between impervious barrier materials such as plastic films and foil structures.
Currently there are three main fragrance sampler patents that guide us in wet fragrance or cosmetic sampling in magazines and direct mail. One is U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,420 to Bootman, which describes a pressure sensitive label comprising two plies of a film or plastic material: one bottom pressure sensitive ply, a deposit of fragrance material and an overlay of a second ply which traps said fragrance deposit. The sealing is by heat seal. The draw back of this product is that the fragrance material is often forced into and through the seal areas under pressure from the stacking forces of many magazines or inserts in distribution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,688 to Muchin perfects upon the Bootman product by introducing a center ply material which has a die-cut window. This window ply is introduced onto the bottom pressure sensitive ply and thus creates a well for the fragrance material. The top, third ply is then added and the result is that stacking forces are distributed on to the widow ply and the fragrance material is exposed to less forces that may lead to seal failures and leakage: a major defect in the original product.
A modification of this second patent concept is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,263 to Greenland. Greenland uses a liquid polyethylene or other hot liquid plastic material that creates the above-mentioned well and also assists in the heat sealing process. The draw back of the Muchin patent is that the additional window ply involves additional cost and manufacturing complications for die-cutting and introducing the third ply in the process. The Greenland concept also adds additional material cost and slows the process as the liquid plastic material needs to be deposited and bonded to the top and bottom ply. Further, the hot liquid plastic material introduces foreign odor and can, in some circumstances, contaminate the cosmetic or fragrance sampling material.
There are various other patents that deal with cosmetic sampling. Gunderman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,130) discloses a sampling device with a unit dose of cosmetic that is screen printed onto a base paper with a perimeter adhesive and clear film overlay. In this case a well area is embossed to receive an integral applicator. The well is not designed as a receptor for the cosmetic product nor is the embossing incorporated into the seal so as to afford strength and allow the seal to withstand pressure better. Also, this sampler uses screen printing and, as disclosed, is not intended or capable of delivering a wet liquid dose of cosmetic material. Lastly, a pressure sensitive base material is not envisioned which would allow automatic affixing as a label onto magazine or direct mail materials as the current Invention envisions.
Gunderman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,693) describes a screen printed sampler that delivers a cosmetic dose under a clear film overlay with pressure sensitive base material allowing affixing as a label. Again, this sampler is not designed to deliver a wet fragrance. The fragrance formulation requires fragrance to be mixed in a powder-based vehicle so that it can be screen printed. Also the sealing is not designed to contain wet fragrance or provide enough strength to contain liquid under stacking pressure. Further no embossing is envisioned to hold a cosmetic dose or to create seal wall integrity.
Gunderman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,112) envisions a lipstick sampler, again with neither a well or an embossed seal wall feature.
Ashcraft (U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,676) describes a multi-layer film with a flavor carrier layer between barrier layers. This does not create a wet fragrance sampler and there is no provision to create seals by embossing or otherwise that will allow a wet cosmetic sample to be contained under pressure.
Moir (U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,386) describes a screen printed, two-ply sampler with perimeter adhesive and clear film overlay. The cosmetic ingredient is a cosmetic powder, a heated oily, non-liquid waxy material, or a fragrance in a dry powder formulation. The product is dry, not wet, and there is no provision for creating heat sealed, embossed or interlocking walls to define a well and create internal seal strength sufficient to withstand stacking forces.
Szycher et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,690) shows a perfume patch.
Moir (U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,378) discloses a cosmetic screen printed, two-ply sampler that allows a pattern deposit of the cosmetic ingredient in the form of a non-smeary powder. This product is not pressure sensitive has no embossed wells or seal walls and does not deliver a wet sample.
Dreger (U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,264) discloses a label product comprising at least two sheets, bonded by adhesive, with microencapsulated fragrance. The liquid fragrance inside the microspheres is so little that it does not create a wet rendering of the product and is as dry to the touch and in current day dry “scents/rips”. There is no mention of creating a well to hold the cosmetic dose in a confined area, nor is any use made of embossing or interlocking seal walls to create an improved seal and resist stacking pressure.
Moir (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,934) discloses another version of a screen printed cosmetic powder formulation that may include fragrance in a two-ply pressure sensitive label construction. The seals of the two ply layers are by adhesive seal and the product rendering is dry or waxy, as in the lipstick dose version, but not wet as contemplated in the current invention. No embossing or debossing is used to create well areas or build wall seals.
Fraser (U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,423) describes using in a multi-layer strip having an adhesive with frangible microcapsules as a package overwrap. This product does not render a wet sample and create wells or seal walls either.
Charbonneau (U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,956) discloses a pressure sensitive two ply label construction with conventional microencapsulated slurry applied wet and then allowed to dry as is the conventional practice in the manufacture of scent strips. The product sample is rendered in a dry state, no wells or embossed walls are used to create a more impervious seal that can hold up to stacking forces.
There are several other patents that disclose fragrance samplers. Charbonneau (U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,956) shows an on page fragrance sampling device. Charbonneau (U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,388) shows a pad fragrance sampling device. Fraser (U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,423) shows a package opening system. Moir et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,934) discloses a cosmetic sampler. Dreger (U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,264) discloses an on page fragrance sampling device. Moir et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,378) discloses a cosmetic sampler. Moir et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,386) discloses a method of making a cosmetic sampler. Ashcraft et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,676) discloses a flavor burst structure and method of making it. Gundermann (U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,112) discloses a lipstick sampler. Gundermann (U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,693) discloses a fragrance sampler. Gundermann (U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,130) discloses a cosmetic sampler with an integrated applicator. Sweeny (U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,869) discloses fragrance microcapsules clear substrate. Turnbull (U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,801) discloses a fragrance releasing pull-apart sheet. Greenland (U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,263) discloses a sampler package and method of making it. Muchin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,688) discloses a sampler and method of making the sampler. Bootman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,420) discloses fragrance laden pouch samplers.